Poison in the refrigerator?

Thursday

Sep 5, 2013 at 6:00 AM

It pains me to write this column. Hubby and I love Diet Mountain Dew.

It pains me to write this column. Hubby and I love Diet Mountain Dew.

And it contains Aspartame. Aspartame, a food additive which makes things taste sweeter, is in everything from diet drinks to ice cream. Used in more than 6,000 products throughout the world, when consumed by humans, it breaks down chemically and has been targeted for causing symptoms that mimic MS to Fibromyalgia.

The effects of Aspartame have been the subject of review for years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Those of us who consume Aspartame should take note of the possible side-effects and the symptoms of poisoning.

A recent article about Aspartame poisoning is circulating around Facebook and the Internet called “A killer in your fridge.”

The unknown author of this article describes how his/her sister became ill with stomach spasms and walking became a major chore. A year later she had undergone countless tests without a conclusive diagnosis and was on 24 various prescription medicines. Eventually her doctor diagnosed her with MS. Over the course of several years she rapidly declined to the point that she began getting her personal affairs in order.

After learning the symptoms of Aspartame poisoning, this same woman reportedly stopped drinking diet soda and consuming foods fortified with artifical sweeteners and now walks around like a normal person only taking one prescription pill from the 24 she was orignally taking when it was thought she had MS.

Aspartame, marketed as “Nutra Sweet,” “Equal” or “Spoonful” has been touted as a better sweetener because it contains less calories and is sweeter than plain, old sugar. Besides being in diet soda, it is also an ingredient in many foods labeled sugar free.

The reason I have become increasingly interested in this topic is that several months ago Hubby began doctoring for symptoms related to Fibromyalgia. Medications normally used to treat symptoms of Fibromyalgia sufferers have so far had zero effect on Hubby’s symptoms.

Mulling this article over in my mind while listening to Hubby moan in pain one day, I remembered when he took a trip to Vegas last January and he said his chronic pain completely disappeared. I also remember how he practically ran me down to get to the nearest soda machine that sold Diet Mountain Dew after disembarking from the air plane, something, he said, Las Vegas didn’t sell.

Coincidence? Maybe.

Artificial sweeteners have been the subject of intense scrutiny for decades. But according to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there’s no sound scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U.S. cause cancer or other serious health problems.

Just try Googling Aspartame poisoning and you will come up with over 44,000 articles on the subject. It appears Aspartame toxicity is becoming an all-too common phenomenon.

The topic of sugar substitutes can be confusing. One problem is that the terminology is often open to interpretation. For instance, some manufacturers call their sweeteners “natural” even though they’re processed or refined.

Whatever side of the debate you are on, one thing that is important to always remember is everything in moderation.